How to book a time on the Old Course

The question we probably get asked the most by golfers wanting to plan their next tour is "Can you guarantee me a time on the Old Course?"  The simple answer is yes, but it's not necessarily a simple process, and depending on how much notice is given, it could get quite pricey!  Let us explain.

Where better to play a round of golf with your dad!

There are essentially four ways to get on to the Old Course, each varying in reliability and cost.

1) The best way to book a time is to plan your trip well in advance and reserve a time, for the following year, at 2:00 p.m. UK time (9:00 EDT) on the first Wednesday of September (September 4th this year).  As long as you are not a single, you can book a time by filling out an application at www.standrews.org.uk.  If you want to book as a single, you can try for a time between April and July, but spots are few and far between.  There are very strict guidelines for this reservation system, however it is still the best option for securing a time on the Old Course for the posted green fee rate (£155 or $243 CDN for 2013 peak season).  During the peak season, you can book a group of between 2 and 8 players.  The application process is first come, first served, so be sure to get your application in as close to 2:00 p.m. UK time on September 4th as possible.

Your odds of securing a time are much better in the shoulder or off-seasons, but if you want to play in the high season, you will have to choose a second course in the St. Andrews Links Trust rotation to book at the same time.  You can choose any of the other courses, including the New Course, Jubilee or Castle, and if your application is successful, you will be required to pay green fees for both rounds.  If your second course is not available, you will be assigned one of the remaining courses for your second round.

2) The only other way to secure an advance tee time is more expensive, as you have to go through the Old Course Experience, the Links Trust's exclusive travel partner, who have secured several tee times that are wholesaled out to golf travel agents such as Golf Away Tours for resale to golfers.

The Old Course Experience also offers 3, 4 and 5-day packages, which start at £1,995 ($3,134 CDN) and include multiple rounds, including one guaranteed on the Old Course.

3) If you don't have an advance tee time reservation there are two other options for getting onto the Old Course, the first one being through a daily ballot.  The "Old Course Ballot" is conducted every day at 2:00 for tee times two days later.  You can register for the ballot every day if you wish, by either phoning, visiting the clubhouse, or online.  You must enter the ballot as a group of at least two golfers, singles cannot enter the ballot.  Depending on the time of year, this is a great way to get on to the Old Course, although in the peak season, it can be difficult.

4) The final way to access the Old Course is as a walk on.  You can check in with the starter as early as 6:00 a.m., and you may be paired with twosomes or threesomes that have tee times.  Again, in the peak season, there are more people wanting to play, so you may have to line up very early.  We have heard of lineups starting as early as 3:00 a.m.!!  It is difficult, or nearly impossible in peak season, to get a foursome on together by walking on, but as a single or twosome, your odds are relatively good.

Also of note is that the Old Course is closed every Sunday when it transforms into a public park which would allow you to walk the course and shoot an imaginary 59!

Road Hole Bunker - ok, it took me a couple of whacks to escape!

So, the moral of the story is that it's best to plan your St. Andrews golf vacation well in advance to ensure you get to experience the oldest and most iconic golf course in the world.  Don't be disappointed, start planning your 2014 trip today!